SOCAL CONNECTED INVESTIGATES HEALTH CARE FRAUD AND THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT CAREGIVING HAS ON FAMILIES

Episode airs March 9 at 9 p.m.

Los Angeles, CA - March 6, 2012 - This week on SoCal Connected, correspondent Michael Okwu investigates what law enforcement officials call a national epidemic: health care fraud.  Okwu takes a look at a Los Angeles-based ghost clinic to understand how crooks swindle Medicare out of billions of dollars each year, and why authorities aren't doing much to prevent it.  Then, in the first of a four-part series exploring the emotional impact caregiving has on families, SoCal Connected looks at the pivotal discussions to have with aging parents-- including planning for the future and what to do when it's no longer safe for them to drive.    

"GHOST CLINICS"

In February, authorities announced the largest health care scam in the nation's history: a Dallas area doctor who allegedly defrauded Medicare out of 375 million dollars.  With figures like that, heath care fraud is now estimated to be more lucrative than the illegal drug trade.  In this week's SoCal Connected, correspondent Michael Okwu takes a look at a Los Angeles-based ghost clinic to understand how crooks swindle Medicare out of billions of dollars each year, and why officials aren't doing much to prevent it.  The producer is Rebecca Haggerty.

"THE TALK"

What happens when we suddenly become the caregivers...?  When it's suddenly our turn? America's growing generation of Baby Boomers now faces a challenge they were never prepared for: Taking care of ailing or aging loved ones.  In the first of a four-part series, "The Talk" focuses on the essential caregiver issues, including the difficult conversations to have with your aging parents about planning for the future; taking away your parents' car keys and the loss of freedom that means for them; and managing aging parents who live far away.  The producer is Angela Shelley.

SoCal Connected airs Friday, March 9^th at 9 p.m. with encore airings on Saturdays at 6 p.m., Sundays at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Mondays at 10 p.m.

The Executive Producer of SoCal Connected is Bret Marcus. Co-Executive Producer is Justine Schmidt. Anchor is Val Zavala.

About SoCal Connected

SoCal Connected, winner of the Peabody and duPont-Columbia awards, 14 Emmy® Awards, 15 Golden Mikes, 18 LA Press Club Awards, the Edward R. Murrow Award for Best News Documentary and Los Angeles Magazine's "Best New Local TV Program" of 2009, airs Fridays (9:00 p.m.), with encores Saturdays (6 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.), Sundays (1:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.) and (6:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.)  and Mondays (10:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.) exclusively on KCET. For more information, to view episodes online or to post comments, please visit http://www.socalconnected.org. 

SoCal Connected is made possible through the generous support of The Ahmanson Foundation, serving the Los Angeles community since 1952; Jim and Anne Rothenberg; The Maddocks-Brown Foundation; The Elizabeth Hofert-Dailey Trust; The John Randolph Haynes & Dora Haynes Foundation; The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and UCLA.

Press Contacts

Nick Jones or Liza Nedelman, MPRM Communications

323-933-3399; socal@mprm.com